STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – National Dems are fully invested in the 11th Congressional District race, throwing down $950,000 for ads that began running this week targeting Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn).

As you'd expect, the first ad highlights Grimm's 20-count indictment on tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy charges. They will run until mid-October, when Grimm's trial could be under way.

The ad buy would be notable under any circumstances, but it's even more so given the fact that Grimm's fundraising has evaporated following his indictment and his campaign has already said not to expect Grimm to do a lot of TV advertising.

In the face of the ad blitz, Grimm campaign spokesman Nick Iacono quipped that the Dems would do better to spend the money buying Brooklynite Recchia a house here.

And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is spending the money despite the fact that many Island politicos, even a some Democrats, think that Grimm could still win in November.

And there was a blip on Recchia's screen this week.

Capital New York reported that the South Brooklyn Youth Consortium, a nonprofit that Recchia gave big bucks to while in the City Council, had received a subpoena from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office. The AG is looking for info on the group's finances.

Recchia was one of many pols who gave the group money over the years (even if in recent years he was its sole government funder), and he has been accused of no wrongdoing.

Still, it gives the Grimm side something to grab onto, and will surely provide grist for the campaign mill. Grimm made the most of the issue during an interview on Fox Business Network on Thursday.

And the big spending on the part of the DCCC didn't stop Team Recchia from blasting out a fundraising email the other day, seeking money for "our first ad buy," and saying that "ads are expensive."